


Electricity

by Erikutta



Category: Shameless (US), gallavich - Fandom
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gallavich, M/M, college Ian, football star Ian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-10-28 07:05:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17782832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erikutta/pseuds/Erikutta
Summary: Mickey is just out of high school and Ian is a senior. He is a talented football player and headed to college.  When these two meet at a party, the sparks fly immediately. Can these two make things work despite Mickey's stunted emotions?





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> HUGE thanks to my Gallavich soul sister, Kelly Yosten aka galpal_007. This was supposed to be just a short little fic that grew into something else entirely! I hope you all enjoy it.

Fucking Mandy just had to have the after party for this week’s football game against their main rivals. Mickey sat on the sofa, taking hits off a bong someone had brought over, letting his eyes roam around the room, when the star wide receiver walked in. Mickey allowed himself to stare at the tall, red headed football player as he waded through the crowd. The senior had a wide, toothy smile that lit up his whole face. His hair was long on top and shaved close on the sides. He was wearing a kelly green t-shirt and dark jeans. Mandy ran up to him and threw her arms around him, “Ian, you came!”

“Hi, Mandy. Thanks for having the party.”

“Of course! Anything for the star of the team,” she said. Mandy had a starry-eyed look on her face as she spoke to him. Mickey couldn’t stop watching their interaction, he felt something. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but it was not a good feeling.

Mickey knew all about Ian Gallagher. Mandy talked about him incessantly. He was the star of the football team, with scouts looking at him for college ball. The younger man was popular, funny, smart, and just an all around good guy. While Mandy had mentioned how hot he was, seeing him in person, hot was an understatement. The guy was drop dead gorgeous. From his red hair, chiseled jaw, green eyes, and lean muscular frame, Mickey couldn’t take his eyes off of him. And at the moment, green eyes landed on blue.

Mickey looked away after a few seconds, uncomfortable with the way his heart was beating so quickly. He took another hit off the bong, letting the weed calm him down. He stood up and made his way to the kitchen to get another drink. 

“So, you must be Mandy’s brother?” 

Mickey turned around to find Ian standing behind him, smiling.

“Yeah, and you are?” Mickey asked, eyebrows raised high on his head.

“Uh, I’m friends with Mandy,” Ian said. “She’s mentioned you before. I’m Ian.” Mickey just stared at him so Ian added, “Gallagher,” like he was waiting for him to know who he was.

“You need a drink?” Mickey asked. His heart was beating fast again, damnit. He took a big sip of his Jack, trying to settle himself.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Mickey poured Ian a Jack on the rocks and turned to hand it to him. Ian was watching him intently with dark eyes.

“So, Mickey. Did you go to the game tonight?”

“Nah, man. I’m not really into sports, much less high school sports.”

“Oh,” Ian looked a little disappointed and Mickey felt bad. What the fuck, since when does he feel bad?

“Did your team win?”

“Yeah, um, we won by a few touchdowns. I play on the team.” Ian said.

“Oh yeah, you some kind of jock then?” Mickey asked. He had no clue what he was doing. This guy made him nervous and yet, he didn’t want to run to his room and hide. This was a new feeling for him. Mickey knew he liked guys. He’d had a few back-alley blow jobs and even fucked a guy last month when he was drunk at some party, but actually feeling like this because of a guy, Mickey wasn’t sure what to do.

Ian punched out a laugh, “Yeah, I guess I am. I like playing football. I like running too.” 

“Running! For fun?”

“Yep, for fun,” Ian replied. 

“Well, better you than me, man.”

Ian looked at the shorter man and smirked at him. “What do you like to do?”

Mickey took in a breath, looked up to meet Ian’s gaze and said, “Smoke, drink, and play video games.”

“Well, I like all those things too, Mickey.” Ian replied. He was staring straight into Mickey’s blue eyes. Mickey could feel the heat between them and wanted to just push Ian against the wall and reach his hand down his pants. Fuck!

“Well, good for you, Gallagher,” Mickey said. He needed to get a grip and get away from this guy. “I gotta piss.” And with that, Mickey walked off towards the bathroom.

Mickey closed the bathroom door, took a deep breath, and ran his hands down his face. Ian was having a serious effect on him. Mickey hadn’t felt like this before, nervous and slightly excited, and he wasn’t so sure he liked it. Not being in control of his feelings was something he wasn’t sure he could tolerate. Mickey liked control. He liked to be in charge. Coming from his upbringing, where he never knew when he would get his ass beat by his alcoholic and homophobic father, Mickey never let his guard down, he always had one eye open. But Terry had been dead for a year, and that’s why Mickey was finally able to give in to his sexual needs. But it still didn’t mean he was ready to feel something for a dude. That was just a little too gay for him. So he splashed some water on his face and decided to get back to the party and stay away from the red headed jock.

*********************************************

 

“Mandy, you didn’t mention that your brother is hot.” Ian said as he walked back up to his friend.

“Ian, my brother is anything but hot, gross. Mickey is an asshole, I’ve told you that,” Mandy said.

“Well, you don’t see it, but I do. And, fuck, I can handle an asshole, pun intended.”

“Oh my god, whatever, Ian. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Mandy said as she shook her head and smirked at him. She knew her brother was gay, he had confided in her after he fucked the guy at a party a few months back. She wasn’t too surprised. He’d never really brought girls around and only spoke crassly about them when their dad would bring up Mickey’s lack of girlfriends. 

 

The party went on and Mickey stayed on the sofa - smoking and chatting with his older brothers, and occasionally getting up to refill his cup. Once he had a fresh drink, he stepped out the back door to have a smoke. As he set down and lit up, he heard the back door open. He turned around to see Ian standing in the doorway.

“Mind if I join you?” Ian asked. He stood in the doorway looking down at Mickey and the cigarette dangling between his thick, pink lips.

“Free country, man.”

Ian climbed down the steps and proceeded to sit down next to Mickey. “So, what’s life like after high school? Are you in college?”

“Fuck no, that’s not for me, I work as a mechanic,” Mickey said.

“That’s cool, but why not college?” Ian inquired.

“Fuck, man, it’s enough that I graduated.” 

“Oh.” Ian wasn’t sure what to say. He loved school and looked forward to college. His heart was beating fast, he was attracted to Mickey and wanted to talk more with him, try and get to know him, but he wasn’t feeling like Mickey wanted the same.

Mickey sensed Ian’s growing discomfort, so he decided to throw him a bone. “You planning on college?” He already knew the answer, but wanted to keep him talking.

Ian smiled at him and said, “Yeah, I hope so. Depends on scholarships.”

“Oh, yeah. Smarts or sports?” Mickey asked, playing dumb.

“Sports, but you gotta have grades too.”

“Cool, man. Hope it works out for you.” Mickey was now looking at the red head, taking in his features up close. He licked his lips, not realizing that Ian was doing the same thing, just taking him all in.

Mickey cleared his voice, popped one eyebrow up and asked, “Whatcha looking at, Firecrotch?”

Ian laughed and it made Mickey smile. “Just trying to figure you out, Mickey.”

“Not much to figure out, Gallagher.”

“Oh, I think there is. I hope there is.”

“Hmmm, hate to disappoint.” Mickey was getting nervous again. What was with this guy. Fuck. He was so good looking and Mickey hated how he wanted to just stare at him.

Ian reached out to take the cigarette from Mickey’s hand, fingers touching, and a bolt of electricity pulsed through both of them, causing Ian to gasp and Mickey to pull his hand away quickly. 

“It’s all yours, Gallagher. I gotta go.” 

Mickey stood up and walked inside the house, leaving Ian sitting out there alone and wondering what just happened.

“Fuck!” Mickey muttered under his breath as he walked to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. What the fuck was happening? Sure, he could see himself giving the guy a blow job and maybe getting the favor returned, but he knew that Ian was more than that. And what was worse, he felt it. Mickey didn’t do feelings. So, he stayed in his room the rest of the night, smoking from his personal stash, getting so high he didn’t have to think anymore, until he just drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Ian had walked back inside, shaking his head as he tried to process what had gone wrong. Mandy had mentioned her brother was gay, which is why after seeing how attractive he was, Ian wanted to take a shot. He had no expectations at first. They were just talking, and while he knew he had a crush on the guy, he was just hoping for a makeout session. But the moment they touched, Ian felt something, something he’d never felt before. He assumed Mickey felt it too and freaked out. Mickey seemed like the type that was closeted and not looking for more than a blow job or quicky. But now, now he wanted him, bad.

“Hey, Ian. Where’d you disappear to?” Mandy asked as she walked over to him where he was standing in the kitchen.

“Uh, I was just out back smoking a cigarette with Mickey.”

“Oh, yeah. Where’s my douchebag brother now?”

“He ran back inside.”

“Ran?! What’d you do, Ian? I warned you!” Mandy yelled. She punched him in the arm for added drama.

“Nothing, we were just talking and I took his cigarette from him and he just bolted.” Ian left out the part where he felt the jolt of emotion from touching hands. He needed to process that a bit more on his own.

“Yeah, my brother doesn’t share. I’m surprised he didn’t punch you in your pretty face,” Mandy laughed.

“Me too,” Ian laughed in return. He poured himself another drink and felt the burn down his throat. He looked around the crowded living room for the black-haired man, but didn’t see him, not even on the couch. He sighed and made his way to some friends sitting on the sofa. 

Ian stayed for another half hour, hoping to spot Mickey again and maybe talk to him, but luck was not on his side. He left the party and walked home with thoughts of the blue-eyed man and the way he felt when their hands touched.


	2. Singles Awareness Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet again and things get steamy and then it all goes to hell...

“Mickey, hurry up, I don’t wanna be late!” Mandy called from the living room.

Mickey was in his room deciding between a black or light blue button down to wear with his dark jeans. Despite being gay, he wasn’t that kind of gay. Still, he wanted to look good because he knew he would see Ian Gallagher.

He’s seen Gallagher a few times since the party back in October, but they hadn’t said more than hello to each other. Mickey had always gone straight to his room when Mandy brought him over to hang out. But just because he hadn’t seen him much didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about him. In fact, Mickey felt like the fucking red head is always on his mind. He’s even popped up in his dreams, a few of them involving lips, ass, and dicks. Those mornings he would wake up and feel calm, but curious. Mickey couldn’t wrap his head around his feelings for the guy. 

He’d been to a few bars recently to get a blow job or two, trying to get the running back off his mind, but Ian always seemed to creep into his thoughts just as he was about to cum. Fucker. 

Mandy mentioned that the Gallagher’s were having a Singles Awareness Day party, apparently the Gallaghers were shit at relationships. Mickey just assumed everyone from the South Side sucked at relationships, he couldn’t imagine himself wanting to be with the same person for longer than needed. Mandy had asked him to come and be social, since all he ever did was work, then head home to drink and smoke before heading off to bed. She kept saying he was young and needed to get out more. Mickey just flipped her off.

Now he was standing in his bedroom trying to pick out a shirt for a stupid party. He finally settled on the light blue, the same shirt he’d worn when he had recently hooked up with a hot guy, so maybe he’d be so lucky again. But not with Gallagher, he thought. No, I’ll just go over there and then head out to Boystown to find some guy to fuck in the bathroom. 

Mickey walked into the living room and grabbed his smokes from the coffee table. Mandy stood and stared and let out a whistle, “Damn, Mickey. That shirt actually makes your ass look good.”

“Fuck off, skank,” Mickey said. He turned his head to disguise the small smile that crept across his face. “Let’s go.”

They walked the few blocks to the Gallaghers. Mandy was going on about Lip, Ian’s brother who was home from college helping Ian decide which scholarship offer he was going to accept. Ian had received three offers, from Illinois State, Notre Dame, and Northwestern. Mickey didn’t know much about colleges, but he knew some of those were good schools. Mandy was clearly interested in Lip for more than just his help with her friend. 

They arrived at the house and climbed the steps to enter. The music was booming and Mickey could hear loud voices from outside the house. He took a deep breath and followed Mandy through the front door. There were Valentine decorations scattered about. Broken heart streamers were hanging on the mantle, bowls of conversation hearts were scattered around the room, and red lights hanging around the frame between rooms. Immediately, she left his side and she called out to Ian. Ian. Mickey chanced a glance at the younger man and he felt his chest tighten just a bit. Ian was wearing a tight white v-neck that had a tiny red heart sticker on it on his left chest with a leather jacket thrown over it. He looked good, Mickey couldn’t deny it. Ian looked past Mandy and caught Mickey’s gaze. He gave him a big smile and waved him over. Mickey complied and walked over to the pair. 

“Hey, Mickey. Glad you came. Can I get you a drink?” Ian asked. Having Ian’s eyes on him like that made his stomach flip. Fuck, this was gonna be a long night.

“Yeah, whaddya got?” Mickey asked.

“Follow me,” Ian called over his shoulder to the siblings as he moved into the kitchen. There was a mini bar set up with various bottles of alcohol and then a keg sat in the corner. 

“Pick your poison,” Ian said.

Mickey looked at the bottles and decided on the Jameson. He reached for a cup with pink hearts on it and poured a small amount, quickly shooting it down. He grimaced at the burning sensation, but quickly poured himself a larger amount.

“Damn, Mickey. Greedy much?” Mandy asked. She was glaring at her brother, clearly a little embarrassed by his behavior.

“It’s cool, Mandy. We’ve got plenty of alcohol for the night.” He smiled at his friend and looked over her head to smile at her brother.

Mickey just nodded at him and sipped his whiskey. He was fighting the urge to look at Ian, he didn’t want to seem creepy, but damn, he just wanted to put his hands on his chest and feel the muscles that he knew were behind that t-shirt. Mickey needed to get ahold of himself.

“I’ve got some good weed, if you’re interested in that?” Ian asked them both. He was looking at Mickey, hoping that the older man wanted to participate.

“Maybe later, Ian,” Mandy answered. “Where’s your brother?” 

“He’s around here somewhere,” Ian replied. With that, Mandy went off to look for her crush.

“So, Mickey, how about you?” Ian asked. He was nervous and afraid that the dark haired man would notice the tremble in his voice. Like Mickey, Ian had thought about the dark haired man for months. Sure, there were a few guys at school that he’d hooked up with, even a few in Boystown, but Ian needed more than a quick fuck. Not having parents around had made him long to be loved and to love himself. He knew that Mickey was a long shot, but he was anxious to try and see if they had a real connection. He wanted to feel that electricity again

“Uh, yeah, sure. I could smoke.” Mickey replied. He’d had a few more sips of the brown liquor and was starting to calm down a bit. 

“Cool, wanna go upstairs? I’ve got it stashed in my room,” Ian said. He was worried Mickey wouldn’t want to be alone with him, so he quickly added, “Or I can go grab it and bring it down here?”

“Nah, we can go up,” Mickey said. He surprised himself with his quick response, but knew it was the correct one when Ian lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. 

Ian turned and walked up the backstairs, turning to look over his shoulder to make sure Mickey was following him. Feeling the flutter of his nerves, Ian wished he’d grabbed his drink off the counter. Maybe Mickey would share his.

They walked into the room at the end of the hall and Ian closed the door behind them. Sitting down on the twin bed, Ian motioned for Mickey to grab a seat. He reached under the bed to grab a tin box that had a bag of pot, rolling papers, and a lighter.

“Lip and I keep it hidden under my bed so the others won’t get into it,” Ian said as he started to pull apart the sticky, stinky weed. 

“That smells fucking great, man,” Mickey praised. “Who hooked you up?”

“Just a dude my neighbor, Kev knows. He gets really good shit every once in awhile,” Ian answered. “I can, uh, tell Mandy next time,” Ian said as he began rolling the joint. He chanced a look at Mickey and saw he had one eyebrow raised. Ian was afraid that meant that he wasn’t understanding his implication, so he added, “if you wanna get some, I mean.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. Let’s see what it’s like first.”

Ian nodded his head and licked the paper. Mickey couldn’t help but watch as Ian’s tongue slid across the paper, getting the perfect amount of saliva on it. His heart sped up and his stomach felt weird. He took another swig of his drink and held it out for Ian to take a sip. While looking at Mickey, Ian took the cup and took a small sip, just enough to try and get his nerves to calm down. Being in each other’s presence had them both on edge.

Ian passed the joint and lighter to Mickey and said, “Guests first.”

“You sure, it’s your shit,” Mickey asked.

“Yeah, Mickey, I insist,” Ian answered.

Mickey nodded his head and lit the joint. He took a deep inhale, held in the smoke, then with his chin tilted upwards, he exhaled slowly. He looked over to find Ian watching him with dark, hooded eyes. Fuck, maybe they shouldn’t have come up here. Mickey wasn’t thinking clearly and now that he had a little MJ in his system, he didn’t trust himself at all. He needed another hit.

After he took it, he passed the joint over to Ian. Ian closed his eyes as he inhaled and Mickey watched him with his lips slightly opened. Ian started to exhale and opened his eyes, catching Mickey watching him. The shock made him cough and then start choking. Mickey just laughed at him.

“Fuck you man, what the fuck. Stare a little harder,” Ian said.

Mickey stopped laughing and said, “Fuck off man, I wasn’t staring.”

“Yeah, ok,” Ian said with a smirk. He passed the joint back over to Mickey. Ian’s butterflies had settled and he felt more at ease sitting next to the man he’d been thinking about for the last four months.

“No Valentine, Mickey?” Ian asked. He was looking Mickey in the eye to see if he could read the man’s expression.

Mickey let out a small laugh, “Fuck, no. I’m not into this Hallmark shit.”

“OK, OK. So, how’s work going?” Ian asked, trying to cut the thick tension in the room.

“It’s work,” Mickey replied. “What’s going on with college?”

Ian’s shoulders dropped and he looked down at his lap, “I don’t know. I have three amazing offers and I just don’t know which to take,” he responded truthfully.

Mickey took a few more small hits off the joint and passed it back to Ian. He knew nothing about football or college, but he found himself wanting to make the younger man feel a little better because Ian looked conflicted. “Well, which school do you like best?” Mickey asked, turning his head to look at his profile. God, he had the most chiseled jaw. He just wanted to run his tongue along it. Fuck.

“Notre Dame is a dream. Every kid that plays football has dreams of running onto that field and playing for a coach like Parseghian,” Ian began with a dreamy look on his face. “But, Northwestern is close to home and Illinois State is a school I can start playing at as a freshman instead of being redshirted.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about or who that guy is, but it sounds like your most passionate about Notre Dame.”

Ian let out a laugh and said, “It means that I won’t play until my second year at school, so really all I’ll do is practice for a year and get familiar with the coach and team while also getting used to college classes.”

“So you’d be in school for five years instead of four?” Mickey asked. He felt a knot in his stomach at the idea of Ian being gone for that long.

“Yeah, I would,” he replied. He turned and looked over at Mickey now. They both sat there, looking at each other, stoned out of their minds. All of a sudden, Ian leaned forward and crashed his lips into Mickey’s and grabbed the back of his neck so he wouldn’t move.

Mickey was in shock, but recovered quickly and eagerly kissed the red head back. Mickey had never kissed anyone before. And all that electricity he felt when they first touched back in October was lighting up his whole body. All of his hookups were quick and to the point, no time for foreplay and certainly no time for passionate kissing.

Ian couldn’t believe it, he was finally kissing this hot guy. He tried not to think in the moment and just relax, but he felt that spark again, only this time he felt it everywhere and it was amazing. This kiss was hungry, all tongue and Ian had control. Soon Mickey had his hand around Ian’s neck, pulling him closer to him. Ian let out a groan and pulled away, desperate for a breath. Mickey wasn’t having it and he pulled Ian back in for more. This time it was slower, each of them exploring more and letting their tongues tangle together. Ian slowly began leaning back on his bed, pulling Mickey down with him so that he was now on top of the younger man. Ian rubbed his hands down Mickey’s back and began to untuck his shirt, desperate to touch his pale skin.

Mickey’s head and heart were exploding. Trying not to overthink anything, he let Ian take control. Soon he felt big hands on his back and he let out a small moan. He felt his dick getting hard fast and moved his hips up against Ian to feel some friction. Ian caught on and lifted his hips to meet Mickey’s.

Before either one knew it, their pants were coming off and Ian was on his knees in front of Mickey, desperate to taste the blue-eyed man. It wasn’t long before Mickey was cumming down Ian’s throat with a loud groan. Ian sucked him clean and then climbed into Mickey’s lap to kiss him. Mickey ran his hands from Ian’s neck, down his rock hard abs and into the waistband of his boxer briefs, finally grabbing his long, thick dick. Mickey gave him an A+ handjob that had Ian coming hard into Mickey’s hand as he bit down on his neck.

Ian slowly climbed off Mickey’s lap and layed down on his bed, trying to bask in his afterglow. It had all happened so fast, he wasn’t sure what to think or feel. He chanced a glance at Mickey who was staring straight ahead, probably overanalyzing what had just happened. 

“Mickey?” Ian called. “So, I was…”

“I better get going,” Mickey cut him off mid sentence. He wasn’t sure what to do or say. He never stuck around after getting off and he knew he couldn’t handle being in Ian’s presence much longer or else he might go for round two. Would that be a bad thing? Mickey was headed towards a freak out, so he just got up, got dressed and headed for the door.

“Um, thanks for the hospitality, Gallagher. See ya ‘round,” Mickey called over his shoulder.

“Mickey, wait! You don’t have to go,” Ian said, but Mickey was already out the door and down the hall before he finished his sentence. He took a deep breath, stood up and got dressed then stopped in the bathroom to clean himself up a bit. He looked at his reflection and noticed his hair was all over the place from having Mickey’s hands running through it. He closed his eyes as he recalled the very recent memory. Ian knew that he would never be able to get the older man off his mind now. This was not how he envisioned tonight going, especially not on Valentine’s Day. 

Ian was so excited when Mandy had said her brother agreed to come to the Valentine’s Day party. He made sure to have a bottle of good whiskey and plenty of kush to offer his crush. He had thought they would chat a little and then get high and drunk and just enjoy the presence of one another. That kiss was so spontaneous, Ian hadn’t even thought about it before his body was acting on its own accord. Everything that came after was just an added bonus. Mickey was incredibly sexy. All of his moans and groans had Ian hard as a rock. Now that he’d had a taste of Mickey Milkovich, he needed, wanted more.

Mickey ran down the stairs and bumped into Mandy. “Where’s the fire, douchebag?” she asked.

“Whatever, whore, I’ve got places to be. See ya at home,” Mickey said. He moved through the crowd of people and out the front door. Once on the sidewalk he bent over with his hands on his knees and took a deep breath. Holy Fuck. What was that? Sure, he knew they were probably gonna hook up when he agreed to go upstairs, but that was something else entirely. It was so hot and needy and fuck, so much for thinking he would get Ian out of his head now. That was the best blow job of his life, not that he’s had tons, but still. Ian’s lips stretched perfectly around his cock and he was able to take him all the way down his throat. Fuck. 

Mickey was on autopilot as he walked down the street toward his house, not even realizing he had lit a smoke. When he arrived outside the fence, he paused. He knew that his feelings for Gallagher were actually there now, he wanted more and that was not ok. So, he decided to wipe the green-eyed man’s perfect blow job from his mind and headed to Boystown to find a good fuck. 

 

Ian made his way back to the party, though he wasn’t in the greatest mood now. As he continued to think about what had just happened, he couldn’t help but feel a little sad. He knew he liked Mickey now, he was easy to open up to and he felt so comfortable with him. It helped that he was incredibly attracted to him, but what if he fucked up his chances at more?

“Ian! There you are, took you long enough to smoke.” Mandy said as she walked over to where he was standing in the kitchen.

“Yeah, um, sorry, your brother and I got to talking and stuff,” Ian replied.

“And stuff? What the fuck does that mean?” She asked.

“Um, well, we were talking about college and then the next thing I know, I was going down on him,” Ian said as he looked at the floor, too embarrassed to look at his friend.

“What?! Ian! What the fuck. No wonder Mickey ran out of here a few minutes ago.”

“He did?” Ian asked “Fuck, I think I fucked everything up.”

“How? I’m pretty sure my brother was a willing participant. Why did he run out though?”

“I don’t know. Fuck, Mandy. I like your brother, I feel something with him that I’ve never felt before And he just left me sitting there.”

“I’m pretty sure my brother ran because that’s what he does whenever he actually has to feel something or process something. Ian, you did nothing wrong, ok. Fuck him. It’s his loss,” she assured.

Ian processed that for a minute and then got a little upset. She’s right, how dare he just run out with no explanation. He wasn’t some piece of ass, he’s a human, who has feelings. Fuck him!

“Mandy, I need to get out of here, stay and have fun.”

“What? Where are you going, it’s your party!”

“Yeah, sorry, I just need... I need to go.” Ian grabbed his coat and headed out the back door so he wouldn’t have to see anyone. 

Mickey walked into the White Swallow and headed straight for the bar. The club was all decked out in red hearts, roses, and white twinkle lights. His high had worn off and he was close to losing his buzz. “Jack on the rocks,” he said to the bartender. As he sipped on his drink, Mickey looked around the club. The music was loud and bodies were grinding on the large dance floor as the lights bounced off the walls. His eyes scanned the tables, looking for a someone to take into the bathroom, but he didn’t find anyone worth it, yet. His mind kept flashing to Gallagher on his knees. Fuck this, “Can I get a shot of Jameson?” he asked the bartender. Mickey took the shot and let the alcohol help change his thoughts. He continued to sit at the bar, sip his Jack and glance around, not really finding what he wanted. What did he want? And then he saw it, a flash of red hair on the dance floor. His eyes focused in on the man dancing with a body attached to his chest. What the fuck. 

Ian was feeling good, the music was pulsing through him and he had a hot guy grinding back on him. He was able to close his eyes and be in the moment without thinking about how pissed and hurt he was. Ian had walked into the club and wasted no time moving straight to the dance floor. He knew that he would have no trouble finding a guy to dance with him, and he was right. He had barely moved his hips before a shorter blonde man danced his way to Ian and put his hands on his hips to dance in time together. He had brown eyes and was pretty cute, he would do. Ian reached around his hips and grabbed on to the man’s ass, pulling him closer. They continued to dance for a few more songs, while Ian was completely oblivious to anything and everything going on around him, especially the blue eyes that were lasered in on his every move. 

Mickey was seething. He’d had two more shots in a matter of minutes, his eyes glued to his green-eyed redhead on the dance floor. Well, not his, but he’d just had Ian’s dick in his hand not even an hour ago and here he was, humping some other guy in front of everyone. Mickey knew he shouldn’t be pissed, he came here looking for a fuck, but he was. He was too pissed to think about why he was pissed about it. 

After about twenty minutes of Ian and blondie dancing, Mickey decided he’d had enough of this show. He got off his stool and made his way to the dance floor. “Fuck off, faggot, it’s my turn.”

Ian opened his eyes when he heard that voice, “Mickey, what the fuck. What are you doing?”

“Me? What are you doing? You just had my cock down your throat and now you’re here grinding up on goldilocks?” Mickey yelled.

“Oh, fuck off. You’re the one who ran out, like a scared little bitch.”

“The fuck you call me?” Mickey asked.

“You heard me. You’re just fucking scared, Mickey. Leave me alone,” Ian yelled. His dance partner was now gone, not wanting to get involved in some lover’s quarrel. 

“You think I’m scared? Of you? Ha!” Mickey scoffed. Who does this guy think he is? 

“Yeah, then why do you always run away from me, tough guy?” Ian asked.

“Fuck off, Gallagher. I got what I wanted from you, no need to stick around to cuddle and shit,” Mickey said in a biting tone.

Ian felt like he got punched. How could he be so stupid to think he and Mickey actually had a connection? Mandy had warned him too. “You’re right, Mick. You got what you wanted. So why are you here yelling at me?”

Mickey couldn’t answer that. He knew deep down there were feelings, but he wasn’t ready to admit that to himself, much less to Ian. “Guess I just didn’t realize what a slut you are.”

Mickey knew that was a low blow, but he was pissed and hurt and confused and just couldn’t control himself. He wanted to make Ian feel the same way.

“You got me, Mickey. Your hand job left much to be desired, I needed to come here and let a real fag get me off,” Ian said. He was seeing red, infuriated at this man, how dare he speak to him that way. 

“Oh yeah, you scream and bite every time you have a bad orgasm, Gallagher.”

“Guess you’ll never know, huh? Now Fuck. Off. Mickey,” Ian said. He turned around and pushed his way further into the crowds on the dance floor, leaving Mickey standing there.

As he stood there lost in his thoughts, he felt a hand grab his ass and then slowly move up to his hip. He turned to see who it was and found some twink looking guy, he would do. “Come on, cupcake, let’s fuck,” Mickey said. Maybe he could drown thoughts of Ian from his mind.

Four months later

After that night back in February, Ian had gone on a bit of a rampage. He was hitting up Boystown every weekend, hooking up with any guy that was interested. It was the only way to keep his mind from drifting back to that complete asshole. Despite his rage, Ian couldn’t shake his feelings. He had feelings for Mickey and truly felt like something more was there, but Mickey was too scared to even look at Ian. Knowing he would likely see him around because of Mandy, he did his best to just push aside his feelings and move on. Easier said than done. 

He saw Mickey at Mandy’s graduation party at the Milkovich house, keeping his distance, but felt those blue eyes on him throughout the evening. At one point, Mickey walked over to where Ian was standing with a classmate. When Ian turned to look at him, Mickey opened his mouth, but then closed it and walked off. “What a pussy,” Ian mused. 

As he got ready to leave the party, he walked his drunk self over to where the dark-haired man was sitting on the sofa, alone, clearly pouting. “Thanks for the hospitality, Mickey. See you ‘round,” Ian said. Clearly repeating the same words Mickey had said to him in his bedroom all those months before. 

Mandy was glaring at her brother as she watched their interaction. Mickey knew what he needed to do, she’d been hounding him for awhile now.

“Ian, wait!” Mickey said as he stood up from his seat.

Ian turned around, “What, Mickey?”

“Where did you decide to go to school?” Mickey asked.

“Notre Dame.”

Mickey smiled brightly at him, “I’m happy for you, Gallagher. Good luck.”

Ian was dumbfounded. Mickey actually showed some emotion. “Thanks, Mickey. See ya ‘round.”

“Hey, Gallagher?” Mickey asked as he walked over to stand close to Ian.

Ian stood there and waited for Mickey to continue.

“I’m sorry. You know, for how I treated you on Valentine’s Day,” Mickey said as he rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip. “I...I want you know that I didn’t mean any of what I said at that club.”

Ian was stunned. How could this man say this months later and right before he was set to go off to get ready for football season in Indiana? “Um, thanks, Mickey. I appreciate that. I’m sorry too, I didn’t mean what I said either,” Ian said honestly. “For the record, you give a pretty fantastic handjob.”

Mickey laughed at that and smiled up at the man he still wanted. As they stood there, Mickey reached out his hand towards Ian.

Ian looked down, unsure of what was happening here, but understood when Mickey gave his hand a little wiggle, implying that Ian should take it. He reached out with his own hand to grab Mickey’s in a firm handshake. And there it was, that jolt, the current of electricity, that spark.  
Ian looked at Mickey, expecting him to react in some way 

Mickey could only stare at their hands. He was feeling it again. What was this? Why does he feel this with Ian and no other man? Slowly, Mickey released his grip and pulled his hand away. 

“Thanks, Ian,” Mickey said sincerely. He turned to walk away because what else was there to say? The football star was leaving for college and that would be it. His heart ached a little, like it was longing to be in Ian’s presence. The affect this man had on him was unlike anything he’d ever known. In reality, they barely knew each other, so why did he want him so much? All these months, Mickey tried to move on, he’d even been on two dates with the same guy, just hoping for a connection of some kind to prove to himself that Ian wasn’t special.

But now he knows, it’s Ian. He’s only going to feel that with Ian. He turned to look back just as Ian did the same. Mickey gave him a soft smile. He tried to put some meaning into, like he knows this sucks, but what can they do? 

Ian turned back to get one last glimpse of this man that he is so drawn to. Mickey was smiling at him in a way that gave him chills, so he smiled back, wishing he could just wrap him in his arms and tell him how he feels, that maybe one day they can try again. Try for what, he wasn’t sure, but just try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback welcome!


	3. Winter Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued thanks to galpal_007 for her input and editing skills, love ya!

Ian was so excited to come home and have a month off from school. He was enjoying life in South Bend and loved playing football with such an incredible team. Classes were going well and he had made a lot of new friends. His teammates were cool with his sexuality and even tried to set him up a few times, but Ian hadn’t really connected with any of the men the way he wanted to. He hadn’t felt that spark since Mickey. 

Ian walked into his house and was greeted by cheers from his siblings and neighbors.He dropped his bag by the door and embraced the group hug. 

“Hey, guys! Merry Christmas! Miss me?” Ian asked.

“Of course we missed you,” Fiona replied.

“It feels good to be home, not that I don’t like school, but home is just better,” Ian remarked.

“Yeah, well, it’s better with you here, man,” Lip added.

“I’m starving, what’s for dinner?”

“I made lasagna, your fave,” Fiona informed him.

“Oh, perfect, thanks, Fi. I’m gonna go throw my stuff upstairs,” Ian said.

Ian climbed the stairs and turned into his bedroom. He was back to his old twin since he didn’t live there full time anymore. As he dropped his bag down, he heard his phone chime. A smile crept across his face as he noticed it was a text from Mandy.

Mandy: Ian! I miss you, please say you’ll come by tonight

Ian: hey, Mands, would love to, but wanna stay home with my fam tonight. Catch up with you tomorrow or the next day

Mandy: tomorrow xo

Ian put away his stuff and went back downstairs just as Fiona was serving dinner. He spent the next few hours catching up with his family, telling stories about football and his roommate, just laughing and enjoying their company. Of course, he talked to them a few times a week while at school, but being in person was so much better. God, he’s missed home so much, more than he thought he would. He knew this month would fly by, but he wanted to try and savour it.

He spent the next few days at home catching up with his siblings and just relaxing. Not having to be at practice or study for a class was something Ian wanted to just bask in. He texted Mandy a few times and assured her they would meet up soon. And today was that day.   
He didn’t ask about Mickey, but he wanted to know if he would be at their house when he came over that afternoon. 

Ian had not forgotten his crush. Could he even call it that anymore? Ian knew he had feelings for the man, but didn’t even have his phone number. It had been seven months since he’d last seen him at Mandy’s party and while he tried not to think about him all the time, Mickey still made appearances in his dreams and in his thoughts frequently. When Ian went out with other men, that’s when he mostly thought about him, no one compared to Mickey. But what could he do, the older man would never reciprocate his feelings, so it felt like a lost cause. Maybe Ian was meant to be a loner that just hooked up when his needs arose.

 

 

Ian walked up the steps to the Milkovich house and took a deep breath before he knocked on the door. His stomach was full of butterflies all morning and they got worse as he walked over. The idea of seeing Mickey again was doing this to him. With a spinning head and racing heart, Ian waited for Mandy to open the door.

“Ian!” She yelled as she threw her arms around his neck. 

“Hey, Mandy,” he replied, hugging her back.

“Get your ass in here!” she motioned to the sofa as he walked through the door.

“So, how’s hair school?” Ian asked.

“It’s really good, but it’s called Cosmetology School,” she corrected jokingly.

“So fancy,” he laughed.

“Yeah, enough about that, tell me everything about Notre Dame! I wanna come visit soon,” she insisted.

“It’s great, Mands. The campus is so nice, all the buildings are this white stone, really fancy looking. Football took up almost all my free time this semester, but that’s what I’m there for.”

“You like your teammates?”

“Yeah, they are all really cool guys, really accepting of me.”

“They better be or I’ll come and kick their asses,” she said.

They continued to catch up and and share stories of bad dates and new friends. Ian was enjoying the easy conversation and was feeling relaxed despite the earlier butterflies. He wasn’t sure how long he had been there before he heard a bedroom door open. Tensing up, he turned toward the hallway to see Mickey pulling on his coat as he closed his bedroom door. 

“Hey, Mandy, I’m going out for…” He stopped talking when he looked up to see Ian sitting on his sofa. His heart stopped beating and he seemed frozen where he was standing. 

“Hey, Mickey,” Ian said. He had a small smile on his face, no teeth showing, just politeness and maybe something else.

Mickey stared at the redhead for longer than he should have before finally speaking, “Uh, hey, Gallagher. You home for the holidays?”

“Yeah, until mid January,” Ian replied.

“Cool, maybe I’ll see you ‘round.” Mickey said. He walked through the living room and out the door, glancing back as he pulled the door behind him. 

Ian was staring right at him, his eyes felt like they were gazing straight into his soul. Sure, Mickey had kept himself busy the last seven months with work and the occasional hook up, but he couldn’t deny that often his thoughts were of that red head. He had even tuned into a few Notre Dame games in hopes of seeing Ian on the sidelines.

Mickey stood on his porch and quickly lit his last cigarette in hopes of calming his nerves. He took a long drag and skipped down the steps, as he headed off to the Kash and Grab for a pack of smokes and, now, a much needed six-pack of beer. His heart screamed at him to head back and sit in the living room as his sister and her friend hung out, but he knew that would be a dick move. Mickey just hoped that he and Ian would cross paths over the next month. As much as he denied it, he didn’t think he could go much longer without some sort of physical contact with the football player. 

Ian sat on the sofa, not sure where his head was at. On one hand, he was glad to have seen him, his heart needed it, but the other hand made him long for what he knew he couldn’t have and that hurt was not a welcome feeling.

“Sorry, I should have mentioned he was here,” Mandy said. She and Ian had never really talked too much about Mickey, but she knew there was something between them. After he told her what happened on Valentine’s Day, Mandy told him that her brother was not worth it. 

“It’s OK, it’s his house too. I knew there was a chance I’d see him when I came over.”

“Yeah? And now where’s your head at?” She asked.

“You mean my heart?” he replied. “I don’t know, Mandy. I’m so drawn to him. Despite guys at school, I still haven’t felt a connection to anyone like I felt with Mickey. I’m clearly fucked,” he sighed.

“Hey! I know this great guy at school. I was gonna bring him up to you today, now feels like a good time.”

“Mandy, I don’t know.”

“Ian, he is gorgeous, smart, almost finished with school, and already has an apprenticeship lined up at one of the best salons in Chicago. I might have shown him your pic, and he is definitely interested,” she explained. 

Ian groaned, he knew she meant well, but he didn’t want to waste time on yet another set up when he knew it wouldn’t work out. He also hadn’t been laid in a month and that was a long time for a nineteen year old gay man. Maybe a holiday fling is exactly what he needed?

“Fine, let’s all go out tonight,” he obliged.

Mandy clapped her hands, “Yes! OK! I’ll text him now.”

“Alright, I’m gonna head home and grab a nap. Text me where to meet you guys later.”

“Will do.”

Ian stood up and grabbed his coat. “Thanks for having me over, Mands, I really have missed you.”

“You too, gorgeous. See you later.”

Ian hugged her and headed back to his house. He was relieved he didn’t see Mickey again, he was not sure he could handle that if he was gonna meet another guy tonight.

 

Later that night, Mandy was coming out of the bathroom, dressed, makeup on and ready to go out. “Mick! I’m going out. Be back late,” she called from her room.

“Where you headed?” Mickey asked from the living room. He was nursing his last beer and watching some shitty movie on cable. 

“I’m going out with Ian, if you must know. Dylan is meeting us, I want them to meet,” she explained. Mandy knew her brother liked Ian. His behavior after they hooked up made it perfectly clear since he usually told her when he hooked up with randoms. But when he refused to talk about Ian, she knew it was because feelings were involved. She’d tried talking to him about it, but he always blew her off or walked away. He never denied it though.

“Dylan? From beauty school?” Mickey scoffed. “No way Gallagher will go for him.”

“Well, it’s not like you are making any moves on him, are you?” Mandy asked.

Mickey just took a sip of his beer.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Have a good night, brother. Maybe you should get out too, you look like you need to relax.”

“Fuck off,” he bit back. He was pissed that Mandy was setting Ian up with another guy, but he knew there was nothing he could do or say about it. Mickey didn’t want to sit at home and dwell on it, so he decided to hit The Alibi and drink away his frustrations. 

 

Christmas came and went and before Ian knew it, it was New Year’s Eve and he was ready to ring in a fresh new year. While the previous year had brought him a scholarship to play football at his dream school, it had also left him a little heartbroken, so he hoped the new year would bring him something special. 

The night he went out with Mandy was fun. Dylan was just how Mandy described him and they got along well. They’d been out several more times over the last two weeks and Ian really enjoyed his company. He didn’t feel that spark and knew it probably wouldn’t last, but Dylan was hot with his sandy blond hair and light green eyes, and the sex was good. Plus he helped keep Ian’s mind off blue eyes and black hair. 

There was a big bash that night at The Alibi and Dylan would be there as his date. Ian was looking forward to celebrating with his family and neighborhood friends. Lip was bringing his newest girl and a single Fiona would get drunk with V. His younger siblings were staying home to watch movies.

Ian knew Mickey would most likely be there tonight. Mandy had said all her brothers would probably be going since they hung out there all the time anyway, but it was almost like she was giving him the heads up. Whatever, he could handle it, especially since he would be occupied with Dylan.

After he put on the new cologne he received for Christmas from Debbie, Ian checked his reflection in the mirror one more time. He slicked his hair back to the side with the new product Dylan had given him the night before when he gave him a quiff haircut. It was still long on top, but was now parted on the side and the sides faded to almost nothing towards his neck, he loved it. He was wearing a grey henley that was a little on the tight side, lighter wash skinny jeans, black boots, and his black leather jacket. Satisfied with his appearance, Ian made his way down the stairs just as Carl was yelling that Dylan was there. 

“Damn, Ian. You look incredible,” Dylan admired, looking him up and down. 

Ian smiled brightly and kissed Dylan on the cheek. “You look pretty hot yourself,” he responded. Dylan really was incredibly good looking, a strong resemblance to James Dean, Ian felt.

“Thanks, I get that a lot,” he joked. But Ian knew he probably meant it. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah, Lip and Fiona left a little while ago, they’re excited to meet you.”

“Gotta make a good impression,” Dylan smirked. 

They made there way the few blocks to The Alibi and walked in to find the music loud and the place packed. Ian recognized a lot of the regulars as they made their way to the bar.

“Hey, Kev, this is Dylan. Dylan, this is my neighbor, Kevin. That’s his wife Veronica over there,” Ian pointed. “And with her is my sister, Fiona,” he finished.

“Nice to meet you dude, what can I get ya?” Kev asked.

“How about two Jack and cokes?” Dylan ordered. 

Ian nodded his response as he looked around the room for Mandy. He spotted her talking to Lip in a booth towards the back.

“My brother and Mandy are over there, let’s go,” Ian suggested after they got their drinks.

The pair made their way to the table. Mandy stood to give Dylan a big hug. Lip introduced them to Amber, a girl he’d met recently. Ian introduced Lip to Dylan. They all sat down and talked over drink after drink. The night carried on, and after about three drinks, Ian felt eyes on the back of his head. As he took the last sip of his cocktail, he turned to find Mickey staring at him from over by the pool table.

Ian felt this was a good time to hit the bathroom and get another round. He excused himself from the table and made his way to the back of the bar. No sooner had he zipped his jeans back up did the bathroom door swing open.

“Gallagher,” Mickey called. “You too good to come say hi?”

“No, Mickey, I didn’t know you were here until just a few minutes ago,” Ian replied.

“Yeah, you’re too busy with fucking Dylan,” he said.

“Hey, Dylan’s a good guy, Mickey.”

“Yeah? I’ve met him a few times, seems full of himself to me.”

Ian rolled his eyes, “At least he doesn’t run from me,” Ian snapped back.

“Whatever, Gallagher, go back to your pretty boy.”

“What’s your problem, Mickey?” Ian asked as he moved a step closer to the older man.

“No problem here, just think you can do better,” Mickey said.

“Yeah, well, the guy I wanted seems to hate me, so I don’t think you get to have an opinion on it,” Ian said. He stared hard down at Mickey, his blood was starting to boil. Who did he think he was?!

Mickey wasn’t sure what to say, he didn’t hate Ian, it was the exact opposite, but it was too much. He was not the kind of guy to have feelings, he didn’t want them. As much as he wanted the man in front of him, Mickey knew he couldn't be what Ian wanted.

“You know what, Gallagher, you’re right. Go have fun,” Mickey said sincerely. He turned around and grabbed the door knob.

“Mickey, wait,” Ian called. He reached out to grab Mickey’s shoulder and when he did, he felt it. The electricity. It shot up his arm and into his heart. Ian dropped his hand and clasped it, forgetting how intense their physical connection truly felt.

Mickey looked equally surprised, “What is it?” he asked.

“I was just gonna tell you to have fun tonight,” Ian told him. They held each other’s gaze, not sure how to proceed.

Mickey opened his mouth to say something when the door to the bathroom suddenly opened.

“What the fuck is this?” Lip asked as he looked between the two men.

“Nothing, I was just leaving,” Mickey said. He looked at Ian and gave a sincere smile, then walked out the door.

“What the fuck, Ian? I interrupt something?” Lip asked his brother.

“Nah, we were just talking,” he answered.

“Yeah, well your date is sitting back at the table, maybe you should go talk to him.”

“Jesus, fuck, I’m going.”

Ian grabbed another round from the bar and made his way back to the booth. Mandy was telling a story about the first time she had to give a perm to an old lady that’d come in to the school. Services were cheap at cosmetology school since students were the ones performing them. Dylan slipped his hand onto Ian’s thigh as they both listened to the story with Dylan chiming in for added drama, recalling a few fun facts that Mandy had left out.

Ian tried to focus and be in the moment, but his encounter with Mickey had left him frazzled and on edge. What was he about to say before Lip interrupted? Why did he have to look so good with his tight shirt and shorter hair? He chanced a glance over at the pool table and caught Mickey bent over the table taking a shot. Holy shit, that ass. Ian bit his lip at the sight. 

Mickey could feel Ian watching him, so he took a little longer than necessary to line up his shot, making sure his ass was on full display. He hit the ball into the pocket and then moved around the table to where he could now see Ian’s face. And what a face it was. As he leaned over to take his next shot, he raised his eyes to meet Ian’s. Green melted into blue and Mickey felt his heart light up. After the contact in the bathroom, he knew he needed the man. It was no longer a want, it was like their bodies needed to connect.

“Earth to Ian, hello!” Mandy said loudly.

“Huh?” Ian said as he looked over at her.

“Did you hear what I said, it’s almost midnight, we are going to the bar to get shots.”

Dylan was staring at him too. How long had he been zoned out and focused on Mickey? “Yeah, sounds good,” he said.

They all stood up and moved to the bar where Dylan ordered shots of Jameson for the whole group, including Kev, V, and Fiona. They made small talk as Kev turned on the TV to watch the ball drop. Mickey and his brothers made their way over to join the group. He stood behind them all, not really caring about the countdown.

All Mickey could focus on was Ian. How much he wanted to touch him, feel his skin under his hands, to taste his lips, and have him inside him. He felt out of control, helpless even, he wanted to get his football player away from Dylan and just have him for himself. 

“Here we go, 10, 9, 8…” called Kevin.

In that moment, Mickey made a choice. He walked around his brothers and stepped between Dylan and Ian. Before anyone could process what was happening, Kev shouted, “One!”

Mickey reached his hand up to touch Ian’s cheek and leaned forward to kiss him hard on the lips. Tongues swirled against each other as Mickey moved his other hand to Ian’s waist. His body relaxed into the kiss and that electricity was coursing through his veins, lighting up his entire body. He didn’t ever want to feel anything but this again.

Ian’s shocked lasted only a moment before he fell into the kiss. Mickey’s lips felt like coming home. He’d been dreaming about them for almost a year and he was finally getting another taste. Mickey was now his favorite flavor. Ian moaned into his mouth, savoring the feeling that was taking over his body and mind. Drifting from fantasy to reality with Mickey was pure bliss. It wasn’t until he heard Mandy that he realized exactly what was going on.

“Mickey, what the fuck?! Ian!” Mandy yelled.

Reluctantly, they pulled apart. Ian was breathless and Mickey was grinning widely. Ian glanced at Mandy who was staring hard with her eyes as big as saucers, then he noticed Dylan standing there with a blank expression. Oh fuck! He forgot about him, but all he wanted was more Mickey. 

Ian turned back to face the dark haired man and after having a silent conversation with only their eyes, Mickey reached for Ian’s hand, clasped their fingers together, and they ran out of the bar with nothing more than a “sorry” over Ian’s shoulders directed at someone. Maybe Dylan, maybe Mandy, but who really cared?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback welcome!


	4. Falling in the Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are finally together, but then what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay! I got the flu and pneumonia, then caught a cold, and I work too much, etc... This story keeps getting longer, so I hope that's a plus?! 
> 
> Thanks, as always, to gall_007 for letting me bounce ideas off of her and for her fixing all my typos and grammatical errors that I always make. You'd think an English teacher wouldn't make as many as I do, but I'm only human... and I type way too fast.

The men spent the next two weeks in Mickey’s room, only resurfacing to use the bathroom or to grab smokes, food, and a quick stop at the Gallaghers to grab a few of Ian’s things and check in with Fiona.

Ian was having trouble explaining how he felt. He kept saying it was the electricity, a spark, and a yearning. But after he really thought hard about how to explain, he figured it out.

“It’s like I’ve found this part of me that I didn’t know was missing and now that I have it, I can’t ever be without it,” he explained to Mandy while they were sitting on the sofa in the living room eating pizza, the evening before Ian was set to leave. 

Mandy had been pissed at him for just dumping Dylan, but after a few days of seeing Ian and Mickey together, how could she be mad? The two men she loved were all over each other and happy, really happy, all smiles and kisses, she was truly delighted for them.

“I can’t believe you are leaving in a day. I’ve gotten used to you being here, who will keep me company now?” she asked.

“Hey, I’m still here, bitch,” Mickey answered. He was lying with his head in Ian’s lap with his feet hanging over the side of the sofa.

“You’re no Ian, dear brother,” she complained.

“Can we not talk about a day from now? Right now we are here, together,” Mickey stated. 

“Yeah, Mands, Mick doesn’t wanna bring it up,” he reiterated.

“Fine. I call last slice.”

Mandy knew this was going to be hard on her brother. To finally give in to his feelings for Ian and let himself be loved, only to watch him leave. She didn’t know what their plans were and this worried her. At least Ian would have school and football to keep him busy and not focused on their distance, but Mickey just had his shitty job at the auto shop and his family to hang out with.

Ian massaged Mickey’s head as they continued to watch TV and relax. A half hour later, Mickey stood up and headed towards his room. He glanced back at Ian and nodded his head for him to come with him. Ian kissed Mandy on the cheek and said good night as he walked towards Mickey’s room. The moment he walked inside, Mickey was on him. Lips on his neck, hands on his hips pulling him in tight. These two were unable to be apart for any extended period of time. Now that they were connected, their bodies craved contact, they were unable to fight the pure magnetism that existed between them. 

Their sex was on another level. From the first moment they stripped their clothes off in anticipation of what was to come, their hands, lips, tongues and dicks knew exactly the right places to go in order to bring the most pleasure to one another. They were insatiable, having orgasm after orgasm, each time stronger than before. They’d been at it for a few weeks, and were getting more adventurous. Mickey ished out his handcuffs and raised his eyebrows at Ian. 

“Fuck, yes, gimme those!” Ian responded.

“Wait a minute, Firecrotch. I want you to get on the bed so I can have my way with you.”

Ian’s eyes widened as he processed what was about to happen. 

“You OK with that? Mickey asked.

Ian just grinned at him as he stripped his clothes off and moved to lay down on the bed. Mickey took the handcuffs back and closed them around Ian’s wrists, clasping them around the headboard so that Ian’s arms were raised above his head. Mickey straddled the red head and began to kiss him slowly. First his lips, then down his neck, belly and finally to his big cock.

Ian wasn’t sure what to expect, but he was loving every moment of Mickey’s mouth on his body. 

“Mickey, I want you, I need you,” he whispered.

“I got you,” Mickey reassured.

Mickey proceeded to suck Ian’scock, making him writhe with excitement as his man pleasured him. After getting Ian really worked up, Mickey lubed up a finger and moved it down to Ian’s ass, ready to enter. He swirled his tongue around the head on Ian’s dick as he pushed his finger inside of him.

“Oh fuck, Mickey,” Ian moaned.

Mickey just hummed around the cock in his mouth as he began to swirl his finger inside. Soon he was adding another finger and Ian was oozing precum, panting and begging for more. Mickey hooked his fingers to massage Ian’s prostate, making him come completely unglued.

Ian pulled on the cuffs, dying to get his hands on Mickey, but loving how the blue-eyed man was making him come apart. With a few more passes over the tender spot, Ian was cumming with a loud groan down his lover’s throat.

Mickey sucked him dry and pulled his mouth off with a sexy smirk on his lips. He moved to kiss Ian hard on the mouth. 

“Mickey, please undo me, I need to touch you, please,” Ian begged.

He obliged and Ian was on him instantly, pushing Mickey down on his back. He grabbed his calves and draped them over his shoulders as he proceeded to eat Mickey out like he was his last meal.

“Oh, fuck yes, Ian,” Mickey whimpered.

Mickey was cumming soon after Ian had his mouth wrapped tight around his dick and three fingers rubbing on his prostate. 

“Come ‘ere,” Mickey said. He motioned for Ian to lay in his arms. They rested like that for a while, just basking in the afterglow. Mickey was content to be in the moment, but Ian was beginning to worry about the fact that he was leaving and they hadn’t even discussed ‘them’ yet.

“Mick,” he began, “I know you don’t wanna, but we need to talk about it.”

Mickey just groaned and reached for his smokes and lit up. 

“School is about an hour and a half away, the bus is easy to take and not too expensive,” he explained. Ian was hoping that Mickey would be able to come visit on weekends. Since it was off season, and Ian didn’t have games or practices, he would be able to spend time with him.

When Mickey remained silent, he tried again, “I can come home on long weekends and spring break, too.”

Mickey didn’t know what to do. He knew Ian had to go back, as much as he didn’t want him to. He was so afraid that their connection would be lost once they were apart for long. The thought of not being near his ginger made him sick to his stomach, but knowing that Ian planned for them to remain together despite the distance, calmed him a tiny bit.

“Mick? Please talk to me. What are you thinking?” Ian asked.

Mickey took a deep breath and let go of Ian as he ran his hands through his dark hair. It was time to face the music, so he took a drag, stubbed out the cigarette and turned to face Ian.

“I’m thinking that when you leave here, it won’t be the same. It’s gonna be different,” he admitted.

Ian looked at him with a curious expression, “Different how?”

“Like not as good, like maybe it’s gonna go away,” he whispered.

Ian was stunned, did he not believe what they had was real? Did he not feel what Ian did? 

“Mick, what I feel for you isn’t going away! If anything, it’s stronger and us not being together every day is going to make me long to be in your arms. Please tell me you get that?” Ian asked, in a slight panic. 

“I have liked you from the moment I first saw you over a year ago. After we first hooked up at my house, those feelings only got stronger. I wanted you so badly, but I knew you didn’t feel the same way, so I tried to move on, but I couldn’t. Everyone else was just to pass the time.”

Mickey listened and he knew Ian was pouring his heart out. How could this work though? He had four more years of school, and then what?

“Mickey, let’s just see how it goes. Please. I know we can make this work.”

“How?” Mickey asked

“Because in the last year, I have just been waking up, going to school, playing football, hanging with my friends and family, but now, these last two weeks, I’ve been alive. Energized, happy, complete. That’s because of you. And I don’t ever want to be what I was before you,” Ian explained.

Mickey felt the same way. Before Ian, life was just this thing that happened every day, but now, his life had become exciting and bright and had more purpose. Whatever came his way, he knew if he had Ian, it would all be OK.

“Me either,” Mickey agreed.

“Yeah?” Ian asked

“Yeah, yes, OK, we will just figure it out as we go along.”

“Can we go ahead and book your bus ticket for next weekend?” Ian asked. Eager was an understatement, he wanted to have definitive plans made so he could have something to look forward to.

“Yeah, Gallagher, we can do that.”

The boys enjoyed a lazy day of making out, talking, and just relaxing together. Cherishing the short time they had left. Both feeling at ease since they knew they would see each other the following weekend.

That night they headed to the Gallagher house for a family dinner in honor of Ian’s last night in town, his bus leaving the next afternoon. All Gallagher siblings were present, Kev and Vee, Mandy and of course, Mickey. The night was filled with laughs, food, drinks, and dancing. Ian stayed glued to MIckey’s side with the exception of when he got up to dance. He tried to pull Mickey out of their chair, but he was not having any part of it, content to watch his ginger dance in front of him.

That night they fucked hard, like they were trying to literally join themselves deep inside each other. The next morning they found each other just making out slowly, savoring each others bodies, memorizing every inch of skin the other had. When Mandy knocked on Mickey’s door, they both knew it was time to get up.

They showered separately so they wouldn’t be distracted and made their way back over to the Gallagher house.

“You got everything ready?” Fiona asked.

“Yeah, all packed up. I’ll be back soon for President’s Day weekend,” Ian replied.

“And Mickey is coming to visit you soon?” 

Ian glanced over at Mickey with a smile, “Yeah, he’s coming this weekend.”

“Can’t stay away from each other, can you?” Debbie asked. She was a true romantic and thought the two men were soul mates. She wouldn't stop talking about their physical connection, that it was the soul’s way of letting them know they found their mate. She’d read books about it.

“Nope. And why would I want to?” Ian responded.

“Alright, man. Let’s get you on that bus before you miss it,” Lip said as he moved toward the front door.

Mickey, Ian, Lip and Fiona headed outside to Kev’s truck. Lip would drive them to the station.

“Bye, Ian. I’ll come visit one weekend my brother doesn’t. Gonna miss you!” Mandy said as she stood at the gate to the house. He gave her a tight hug and kissed her head.

“That sounds great, Mands.”

They got in the truck and headed out to the station. Lip put Ian’s bag on the bottom of the bus and he and Fiona gave their brother hugs and then privacy to say goodbye to Mickey. He’d been pretty quiet the whole time.

Mickey was just trying to keep his feelings in check, he was starting feel a bit numb. He couldn’t explain it, but it was like his head was trying to protect his heart from the pain it was about to endure.

Ian pulled Mickey into his arms, resting his chin on Mickey’s head. 

“Not gonna make a big scene, I’ll see you in 5 days, that’s nothing, we got this,” Ian whispered.

Mickey just nodded his head, he didn’t trust his voice in this moment. 

Ian pulled back and looked into those blue eyes, “Mick? Five days, right?” 

Mickey knew he was headed towards panic mode, but he managed to get his mouth working, “Yeah, Gallagher, five days.”

With that, Ian picked up his backpack and made his way to the door of the bus, he looked back to see Mickey biting his lip. Giving him a soft smile, he turned and climbed aboard the bus.

Mickey stood frozen and watched until the bus pulled away, his heart tightening and aching, knowing it was leaving with Ian. 

 

The next week was brutal. Mickey was on autopilot, going through each day with no real emotion or feelings. Just work, sleep, work sleep. He would text Ian and they would talk briefly on the phone at night, but being back at school had the redhead busy with new classes and training.

Ian was doing much better, he was excited to see Mickey that weekend and having that to look forward to made his week go by quickly. He knew Mickey was struggling, but he kept telling him they would be reunited soon. Handling things so differently was getting to Mickey. This is why he never wanted to start with Gallagher. He didn’t know how to handle his feelings, so he always avoided them. He was beginning to wonder how he would make it through each week being away from Ian for the foreseeable future.

Friday finally arrived and Ian was so excited. He’d made sure his roommate found somewhere else to crash for the weekend so that he and Mickey cold have his dorm room to themselves. He was worried about Mickey, he wanted to spend the weekend adoring him and reassuring him that they would get better at the distance.

When the bus pulled into the station in South Bend, Ian was standing there with a huge grin on his face. He saw Mickey through the window and gave him a wave. Mickey made his way off the bus and Ian pulled him into a tight hug, tucking his head into his neck and breathing in deeply, savoring the smell of the dark haired man. “I missed you so much, Mick,” Ian said as he pulled back to get a good look at his man.

“Come on, Gallagher, let’s get out of here,” Mickey said. He finally felt like he could breathe again being in Ian’s presence. Mickey grabbed his duffle bag and Ian led them to the city bus stop. The ride to the dorm was silent. They sat as close as possible, thigh to thigh, shoulder to shoulder, needing the connection, letting their fingers brush against the other’s, not wanting to hold hands in public. 

The bus arrived at campus and they made their way to the dorm. Ian pointed out a few buildings and the stadium along the way. Mickey took it all in, glad to finally have a visual of where Ian spent his time. It really was a gorgeous campus.

Once Ian got his dorm room open, Mickey was on him in a second, dropping his bag on the floor. They crashed their lips together, hungry for one another. They could not get their clothes off fast enough.

“Oh fuck, Mickey, this ass, I’ve been jerking off to it for days,” Ian said in a deep, throaty voice. 

“Ian, get in me, I need that cock,” Mickey insisted.

Ian grabbed the lube and quickly prepped Mickey. Mickey was a mess, wiggling his hips, trying to get more feeling from Ian’s fingers as they worked him open. “I’m ready, just come on,” he begged. He spread his legs wider and wrapped his feet around Ian’s waist, urging him on.

Ian slapped his ass and slipped the condom on. He started off with deep, hard thrusts before he moved slower, taking in Mickey’s expression. Soon he was slowing down, savoring the feel of Mickey tight warmth around his dick. This was when he felt most alive, being connected to Mickey like this, body and soul. Soon enough they came at the same moment, Ian crashing down on top of Mickey, both men breathing heavily. Ian rolled over onto his side and just caressed Mickey’s soft abs. 

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Ian whispered in Mickey’s ear.

“Me too,” Mickey whispered back. After a week of feeling empty and withdrawn, he was finally feeling whole again. But in the back of his mind, Mickey wondered how he could keep going like that.

The two men enjoyed the weekend together. They ordered pizza, watched movies, but mostly they just fucked. Ian did get him out for breakfast Sunday to show him a few spots he’d grown to enjoy around campus. Mickey felt like this was a nice town to live in for a few years, a good fit for Ian. As his departure time grew near, Mickey felt like his world was crashing down. They hadn’t talked about when they would see each other again, hell they hadn’t even talked about what they were to each other. 

Ian assumed they were a couple, wondering how Mickey could think any different after their time together over the holidays. 

“I don’t know, Ian. It’s not like I have a lot of experience with this shit,” Mickey grumbled as they were packing his bag in the dorm room.

“Mickey, if I could crawl inside your heart and live there, I would, but that’s not how shit works. I’m here, for a long time, and we need to figure this out,” Ian said.

Mickey groaned as he rubbed his hand down his face. He didn’t want to leave, he wanted Ian to come home with him. Saying goodbye again was sending him over the edge. Would it ever get easier? Was he going to crumble every time they said goodbye? 

“OK, so what do you propose?” Mickey asked.

“Well, for starters, let’s both admit we are in this together, a team.”

“Like, a couple?” Mickey clarified.

“Yes, exactly like that. I’m with you, Mick, only wanna be with you,” Ian said.

“Then what, we do a long distance relationship? ‘Cause those always work out.”

“Quit being so negative, Mickey. You don’t think we’re gonna last?” Ian asked. His boyfriend was worrying him. He knew this was hard on Mickey, but he wanted to make it better. 

“That’s not it, I just don’t know how to make it so it doesn’t feel like this,” Mickey was struggling to communicate, as always. He didn’t want Ian to know how much them being apart really made him feel. He’d keep that shit to himself.

“Fuck, Mickey. We just try. Can you come back here next weekend?” Ian asked.

“No, I have that thing at the shop with the ‘68 Camaro on Saturday.”

“Well, Valentine’s Day is in a few weeks, how about then? Maybe we can get a hotel room?” Ian suggested. He had Mickey wrapped in his arms as he gazed down into those blue eyes.

“I don’t know, Ian. I don’t have money to keep throwing around.”

Ian’s smile faded quickly. “Oh, well, maybe I will come home,” Ian tried.

“Let’s just figure it out later, OK. We need to go if I’m gonna make my bus.” Mickey grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

Ian remained where he was, not sure what was going on. First they decided they were committed to this and now Mickey couldn’t make plans. He didn’t want to push his boyfriend when he knew he was upset about going home, so he decided he would bring it up again tomorrow.

After arriving at the bus station, Mickey loaded his bag on the bus and turned to Ian and said, “I’ll call you when I get home, K?”

“OK, Mickey. I had a great time with you this weekend. Thank you for coming,” Ian said. He pulled Mickey in for one last hug and rested his forehead on Mickey’s shoulder. His heart was hurting and he didn’t like how they were leaving things.

“Of course, Gallagher. Had a good time, too,” Mickey waggled his eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood although he felt the opposite of light.

He got on the bus without a look back and promptly fell into his seat and pulled his hat down low on his face. He was not a crier, but fuck if he didn’t feel moisture creep into his eyes.

 

 

The next week Mickey moped around the house, and stayed focused at work. He really did have a busy weekend coming up at the shop and needed to get shit organized for the incoming car he would be restoring. He and Ian facetimed each night, avoiding the topic of the next visit. Ian had tried to hint at Valentine’s Day again and how he might be free to come home, but Mickey kept changing the subject.

Ian and Mandy had talked and she assured him that her brother was just being his normal weird self and to give him time to sort through his shit. Meanwhile, she tried to talk to her brother about his feelings.

“Look, Mick, I know it sucks to be apart, but Ian thinks you maybe don’t feel the same anymore.”

“Mandy, I don’t wanna talk about this right now. I’ve had a long weekend at work. Let’s just have some beers and smoke and let me relax.”

“Fine, but you need to call Ian, you’ve ignored him all weekend. He doesn’t deserve that.”

Mickey had felt bad about ignoring Ian this weekend, but he was focused at work and the more he got Ian off his mind, the easier it was to not worry about shit. But as he got high and drunk, the ginger made his way into his thoughts and he started to realize he couldn’t ever really push him out of his mind.

Meanwhile at Notre Dame, Ian was flipping out. His roommate had tried to calm him down, but Ian was having none of it. All he could think was that his other half suddenly didn’t want him anymore and that he was going to have to go back to life without Mickey, and Ian hated that life.

The next week, they exchanged texts and a few calls, but no facetime or phone sex like they’d had previously. Ian didn’t dare mention visiting, he would just ask Mickey about work and talk about his classes, very surface and nothing deep or about them. In the back of his mind, Mickey was thinking about their future, but he didn’t want Ian to know that yet, so he just kept his ideas to himself.

The next two weeks found Mickey working 24/7. He had little time for anything other than cars and sleep. He would come home late and leave early. Over text, he assured Ian all was fine with them, and to just be patient, but Ian knew something was wrong.

“Mandy, please just tell me, is there another guy?” Ian asked his friend over the phone.

“Ian, get real, Mickey with another guy? I know he’s being weird, but this is how he acts when he can’t deal with shit. You’ll be home in a week and a half for the long weekend, y’all will be all up each other’s asses then. Literally.”

“He’s barely mentioned me coming home, but I keep reminding him that I’ll see him soon.”

“He knows, he’s just been focused on that car at work. He’s using it stay busy and keep his mind off his aching heart,” Mandy explained. “Look, I know my brother, and he is crazy over you. He just can’t handle this, he needs time to adjust to being with someone only some of the time.”

“But I’m dealing with it too, I thought we would be supportive of each other’s feelings and help each other feel better,” Ian said quietly. “This is almost like I have no boyfriend at all.”

“Ian, I’m so sorry, I am. Just hold on until you get home, then it will be better,” she insisted.

When Mickey got home that night, Mandy decided it was time she spelled out for her brother.

“Mickey, you’re an idiot and you’re gonna lose the one good thing in your life.”

“Fuck, Mandy, what are you talking about?” Mickey groaned as he grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator.

“Your boyfriend, Ian. Remember him?” she asked.

“Um, yeah, what about Gallagher?” he replied.

“He thinks you’re with someone else.”

That made Mickey stop in his tracks. How could Ian think he would be with someone else? “What the fuck, why?”

“Um, maybe because you’ve been blowing him off for weeks. All you do is work and text him and maybe call him here and there,” she said.

“So that makes me a cheater? What the fuck?!” Mickey blurted.

“No, but when your boyfriend doesn’t even try to make plans to come and visit and barely contacts you, you start to worry. It’s, human nature, douchebag. You’re a shitty boyfriend and Ian deserves better,” Mandy yelled. She couldn’t understand why Mickey was being this way.

“Oh, fuck you, Mandy!” Mickey stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him. He flung himself onto his bed and picked up the phone. He knew he’d been blowing Ian off, but it was because it he was working a ton and just needed to focus on that. He’d been thinking a lot about how to make things better for him and Ian, and he wasn’t ready to share his plan with his boyfriend, so he just kept the calls and texts simple.

Ian would be home in less than two weeks and he planned to talk things over with him in person. Until then, he would just keep ahead with his plans. He hated to think that Ian was hurting because of his lack of communication and knew he needed to soothe his boyfriend’s feelings just like Ian had done for him when he first left to go back to school. He hit the call button on his phone and Ian answered on the third ring.

“Hey, Mickey, you just get home?”

“Yep, fucking tired, man.”

“I’m sure you are, did you work late again?” Ian asked. Mickey cringed at the way Ian asked that question, his voice was quiet and filled with worry over what the answer would be.

“Yeah, just about finished up with the Camaro. Can’t wait for you to see her when you’re home, she’s badass,” Mickey said.

“I bet, you’ve spent enough time on her,” Ian replied.

“I know, sorry about that, it just helps me to focus on something other than us not being together.”

“I get that, Mick, but I miss you. So fucking much, and I know it’s hard on you, but it’s hard for me too, I’ve told you that. It can’t ever get better if you are gonna just shut me out,” Ian said.

Mickey knew he was right, and he wanted to reach through the phone and hold his boyfriend. “I’m sorry, Ian. I’ll do better, OK,” Mickey assured.

“OK.”

“So, tell me what’s new with you?”

“Not much, we’re getting ready for the dorm Valentine’s Day party. All the singles are having games and activities in their rooms on my floor and couples shit is on the floor below me.

“Singles, room, huh?” Mickey asked. He was suddenly wondering what his boyfriend was up to on the lame holiday.

“Yeah, I mean, I’ll be single on the actual holiday, and my roommate is single, most of the guys on the floor are, so we agreed to host the singles floor.

“What the fuck do you mean, you’ll be single on the holiday?” Mickey blurted.

“I mean I won’t be with you in person, so it’s not like I can go do couples shit, Mickey,” Ian responded. 

Mickey felt a little bad about that, but Ian would be home a few days after that anyway, so what was the big deal?

“Oh, yeah, but I’ll see a few days after,” Mickey said. He hoped the tone of his voice implied that he was looking forward to that. He needed to be sure Ian knew he still cared, that he was still very much in this, despite his actions lately. “Ian?”

“Yeah, Mick?”

“Fuck,” he took a deep audible breath, “I miss you. I really fucking miss you.”

“You do?” Ian asked. The question in his voice hurt Mickey’s heart. He hadn’t thought enough about Ian’s feeling these last few weeks. He just assumed that Ian was busy with school and football and he was the one who seemed OK to do long distance and not be so bothered by going weeks without seeing each other. 

“Fuck, Ian. Course I do,” Mickey assured. “Why do you think I keep myself so busy at work? All I do is think about you, man.”

“You better,” Ian said.

“Hey, I need to get some sleep, got the last of the pieces I ordered for the engine coming in tomorrow morning, I gotta be there to receive them.”

“OK, Mick. Thanks for calling, I needed to hear your voice.”

“Me too, Gallagher, text you tomorrow, K?” Mickey asked.

“Yo, Ian, we’re heading out to Vickie’s, need to get laid, you coming?” Mickey heard a man’s voice ask in the background.

“Who the fuck is that?” Mickey asked.

“Just Trey from next door,” Ian answered.

“Hang on, Trey,” Ian replied with a muffled voice like he was covering the phone so Mickey wouldn’t hear.

“Oh, Trey from next door? What’s Vickie’s?” he asked, getting pretty annoyed.

“Just the local gay bar, we go there to dance and shit.”

“Oh, really? You go there a lot, Gallagher?” Mickey asked in a loud voice.

“Nah, Mickey, not really. I’ll let you get some sleep, OK. Talk to you tomorrow,” Ian said. He didn’t have the energy to fight with his boyfriend. 

“Whatever, fine. Go dance, see if I care.” Mickey yelled and hung up the phone. What the fuck was that? Ian’s been hanging out at a gay bar. Maybe he only asked Mandy if he was with another guy because Ian was the one feeling guilty. Fuck!

Ian was so exhausted. His emotions had worn him out and he just needed to sleep. He was still upset with Mickey for blowing him off all this time and he really wanted to spend Valentine’s Day with him. He felt like that date was important to them since it was when they first hooked up. 

Mickey made his mind up right then that he was gonna have to see his red headed boyfriend sooner than planned, he needed to remind him of what they had. He realized this was all his fault and fuck if he didn’t want this man in his life, he couldn’t lose him, especially not to Trey or whoever the fuck was at that bar.

“Mandy! I need your help!” Mickey yelled from his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback is always welcome! Will try to get the next chapter out in a few days. I'm off for spring break and I am committed to finishing this story and getting back to work on my novel!


	5. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to galpal_007 for her support and guidance! Thank you all for being patient with me. While I always have ideas for fics, I much prefer reading and editing them.

Mickey spent the next week putting his plan in motion. It involved several details, the hardest was keeping Ian in the dark. While Mickey continued with regular calls and texts, he kept drawing attention to their upcoming weekend in Chicago when Ian came home for President’s Day. Mickey felt like it was a good distraction from his actual plans to surprise Ian in South Bend on Valentine’s Day.

“Mandy, you got the flowers, right?” Mickey asked his sister.

“Yep, got a box of petals and the fresh roses and tulips. I also picked up the tea candles.”

“OK, I’ll pick up the chocolates the night before. Have you talked to his roommate to make sure he is set to get Ian to the room?”

“Yes, Mackenzie knows what to do. I just sent you his cell number so you can text him,” Mandy said.

“Thanks,” Mickey responded with a smile.

He went over his mental checklist and figured he only needed to do just a few more things once he reached Ian’s school, and then just wait for him to arrive.

 

The day finally arrived and Mickey had just pulled into South Bend. After Mickey ran his errands, he texted Mackenzie to make sure he was set on his end.

MICKEY: all clear?

MACKENZIE: yeah, man. Just text me when you’re set

MICKEY: thanks, does he suspect anything?

MACKENZIE: nope, not a thing

MICKEY: I owe you, man!

Following Mandy’s direction, Mickey got busy preparing for Ian’s arrival. He set the candles on various pieces of furniture, scattered the petals on the floor and all over the bed, then placed the roses on the bed, with a few left to hold in his hand. He texted Mackenzie to let him know he was ready and to text when they were close by.

To say he was nervous was an understatement, Mickey was sweating and his heart was beating rapidly. He knew that Ian would be thrilled to see him, but he didn’t know about the rest of it. Because the plan had been fast forwarded, Mickey didn’t have time to really get everything lined up the way he wanted, but this would be fine for now. He just hoped Ian was as excited as Mickey was.

A text alert pulled him out of his thoughts and got him in position. He stood a few feet from the front door with the flowers in his hand and took a deep breath. Mickey could hear Ian’s voice getting louder as he approached the other side of the door. The was a hard knock at the door and Mickey pulled it open. 

The look on Ian’s face was priceless as he stared at Mickey standing in the doorway. His mouth dropped open as he rushed toward his boyfriend and embraced him. Mickey quickly wrapped his arms around his man and squeezed back, letting the energy and electricity flow throughout their bodies.

“What are you doing here?!” Ian asked. He pulled back to look at Mickey.

“Well, it’s Valentine’s Day, couldn’t let my man celebrate without me,” Mickey replied. He had a wide grin on his face as he watched Ian look around.

Ian surveyed the space and saw the candles, flowers, and rose petals. Then he turned around to Mackenzie and said, “Damn, you listened to me bitch for days about Mickey not wanting to celebrate and you were in on this?”

“Yeah, I knew you’d like all this sappy romantic shit and Mandy can be pretty persuasive. I need to meet that girl,” he replied.

Ian let out a laugh and Mickey was so relieved to see his redhead happy.

“But wait! Mickey, how did you get in here?” Ian asked. He looked over at Mackenzie and said, “I thought you hadn’t signed the lease yet?”

“I’m gonna head out, you two enjoy,” Mackenzie said.

“Thanks for all your help, man. We owe you,” Mickey relied.

Mackenzie gave him a quick nod and waved at Ian as he closed the door behind him.

“God, I’ve missed you,” Mickey said as he pulled Ian back to his chest and held him close.

“Me too, Mickey. I can’t believe you’re here!”

“Yeah, it took a bit of planning, but all worked out.”

“Where is here exactly, Mick?” Ian asked. “Mackenzie said we were looking at apartments for next year, he said we needed to get a jump start.” 

Mickey led Ian over to the sofa and pulled him down to sit. “Well, after our conversation last week, I realized that the distance was just too much for both of us. So, I put my plan into motion and here we are.”

Mickey pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to Ian. Ian looked at the box and back up at Mickey with a curious expression.

“What is this?” Ian asked.

Mickey smiled and said, “Open it and find out.”

Ian opened the box and found a set of keys on a key chain with a lightning bolt charm. He looked up at Mickey as he held the keys in his hand, waiting for me details.

“This apartment is mine. Well, ours, really. I can’t be away from you for the next four years, Ian. And maybe I should have talked to you about it, but I just went with my gut and got the place,” Mickey explained. He was getting nervous now, unsure of what Ian would think. Was it too soon?

“You’re moving here?” Ian asked in a whisper.

“As long as you’re OK with it?” Mickey replied.

“What about your job? Mandy?” Ian asked.

“Can we talk about all that later? It’s Valentine’s and I fucking miss you,” Mickey asked as he leaned in to kiss the green-eyed man.

Ian kissed him back and things heated up quickly. Ian pushed Mickey back onto the sofa and latched on to his neck. Pretty soon clothes started coming off and when they stood up to remove their pants, Mickey paused.

“C’mere.”

Mickey took him by the hand, passed the kitchen, and led him into the bedroom. Ian gasped when he saw the petals on the bed and more candles lit all over the room.

Seeing Ian so happy made Mickey’s heart swell, he knew he had done the right thing by coming to visit and setting this up. 

“I fucking love you so much, Mickey,” Ian blurted out as he moved to kiss him on the lips.

Mickey was too stunned to kiss him back in that moment. Ian just told him he loved him. They hadn’t used that word before. Mickey knew what he felt was love, but saying it was a different story. 

Feeling his hesitation, Ian pulled away and studied his boyfriend’s expression. “Mick?”

Mickey was looking at Ian with a blank stare. They were holding hands, that electricity pulsing from one to the other. This was the moment, he wasn’t planning it and hadn’t even thought about it, but this was it. It was too perfect.

“I love you, too,” he whispered back. 

Ian gave him a huge, toothy smile and then leaned in to kiss the older man’s soft, pink lips. From there, they finally gave in to their longing for one another. The first round didn’t last too long, both just needed a release, but the second was slow and purposeful, the couple wanted to savor the other and make their newly expressed feelings truly felt deep within them. Not that that was hard to do considering the two fell for each other the moment they first touched back on Mickey’s steps over a year before.

“So, you ready to tell me how you did all this?” Ian asked. He spoke in a quiet voice, not wanting to ruin the blissful moment of laying in their new bed, basking in the afterglow.

“After my first visit here, I knew that I couldn’t be away from you while you were here at Notre Dame for the next several years, so I spoke to my boss about helping me find a job at a mechanic shop here. Turns out he is good friends with the owner of a place about 10 minutes down the road.

“So, I started looking online for places to live and came across this spot. It’s furnished except this bed is new, I wanted one that would be just ours. I did the deal over the phone the morning after you went out to that club with Trey,” Mickey continued.

“Holy fuck,” Ian breathed out. “I can’t believe you kept this from me.”

“I didn’t mean to and I wasn’t even planning to move here this quick, but knew I needed to fix things. I didn’t mean to be so distant, Ian, but this has really sucked, the distance. I know you agree, man.”

Ian nodded his head, “I missed you so much and when you started pulling away, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t leave school and you would barely talk to me, Mick. I thought you were getting cold feet about us.”

“I’m so sorry,” Mickey said. He pulled Ian down to his chest and kissed the top of his head.

“Mickey?” Ian asked with his head turned to look up at his boyfriend. “How did you afford this? I thought you couldn’t come visit because of money and work.”

“I had money saved, but the real reason I was working so much was to get the Camaro finished and sold. Turns out the owner of my new shop collects old cars and wants it. I drove it here to give it to him tomorrow,” Mickey explained.

Ian was speechless, he knew how hard Mickey was working on the car, but he had assumed it was already purchased, he didn’t know he was doing it for the sale.

“Mick, I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that you’re moving here,” Ian said. “You’re gonna be five minutes away from me.” Ian giggled at that realization. 

“Well, I hope I’m only gonna be five feet away, Gallagher,” Mickey countered.

“I have to stay at the dorm during the week, it’s a requirement for first-year students, but I can be here on the weekends and we can still hang out during the week. I just can’t sleep over,” Ian told him with a sigh.

“I think I can handle that, freckles.”

“You better,” Ian said.

“I love you, Ian. My home is wherever you are, so my home is here, even if we aren’t together every day, at least we’re close by,” Mickey said.

Ian’s heart just melted into a puddle on the bed. How did he get so lucky to find this man? A man who lit up his whole being. He couldn't believe it when he saw Mickey standing in the apartment when he walked in just a few hours earlier, and now he was moving to be with him, it’s the thing you see in movies, not the life of a gay kid from the South Side of Chicago.

“I love you too, more than I can even explain. You make me feel things I didn’t know people could even experience, the way my body just sizzles when we touch, how my heart just shocks when we are close. It’s one of a kind, Mickey.”

“It’s electric, isn’t it?” Mickey asked.

“Is that why you got the lightning bolt key chain?” Ian asked

“Too corny?” Mickey hoped not.

Ian shook his head and said, “Perfect. It’s our electricity.”

 

 

 

Four years later 

Mickey held his breath as the first name was called, “Scout Ackerman”. The crowd erupted in applause and Mickey felt Ian’s hand squeeze his own. They knew Ian wasn’t going to go number one, but it was still a hope. 

The two men stood with Ian’s agent, Henry McNeil at the NFL draft. Ian was a graduating senior and was predicted to go in the top five. Henry had been fielding offers and negotiations for the days leading up to the event, things could go several different ways, but Ian wasn’t picky, he just wanted to keep playing football.

Once Ian started playing his sophomore year, he was a force to be reckoned with. He had grown faster and more agile under the training of his college coaches. After an undefeated season his junior year, Notre Dame lost the National Championship against Alabama. While he was encouraged to go pro, Ian wanted to finish school with his degree in business. He knew football wouldn’t always be an option and he wanted to ensure a successful future after a professional career. 

The summer before his senior year, Ian worked harder than he ever had and led his team to another undefeated season, this time winning the National Championship against Clemson and also winning the coveted Heisman Trophy. Only two wide receivers had ever won before him and it was honor Ian had a hard time believing he’d won. Mickey did not, he knew his boyfriend was extraordinary.

Now here they were, waiting to see where they would be moving to in the next few months. Henry had told Ian that the Cardinals had the first round pick, but that they were looking for a new quarterback. Because Ian was a Heisman winner with two undefeated seasons, the agent was predicting top 5. While teams often negotiate before the draft for players and other terms, Henry still had a good idea of how this was going to go down. A few more names were called before Dallas Cowboys great, Roger Staubach called the name, “Ian Gallagher”.

Ian’s mouth was hanging open as he stood, frozen. The Dallas Cowboys were not quite what he was hoping for, but what an incredible team, “America’s Team”! Mickey leaned over to him and whispered in his ear, “Go, go” and gave him a little push. Mickey’s phone was blowing up and he just stood there in awe of his boyfriend as Jerry Jones shook his hand and Troy Aikman placed a Dallas Cowboys hat on Ian’s head.

As Ian returned over to Henry and Mickey, he reached for Mickey and pulled him into a tight embrace and said, “Thank you, Mickey. Thank you!”

“Come on, Firecrotch, this was all you.”

“No, Mick, I wouldn’t be here without you, not a chance. I love you so much, Mickey,” Ian said. He was leaned in close to Mickey’s ear, wanting this moment to be just for them.

 

Ian had moved in to the apartment at the end of his freshman year of school. Living together had been an adjustment, but they settled in nicely. Ian was used to chores and sharing responsibility and Mickey was used to chaos and mess, so Ian made a chore chart and they shared duties. When Mickey wasn’t at work and Ian wasn’t training or studying, they were cuddled up in their bed together. Being apart all day was just enough time before they would itch to get their hands on the other and feel that spark they craved.

The weekends that Ian traveled for games found Mickey hanging with Mandy, working, or just at home alone. It was only for a day or two and while the first few times were really hard, they got used to it. Mickey came along for one or two games each season, which was something they looked forward to.

The years seemed to fly by as they settled into a comfortable co-existence. Now here they were, about to start a new chapter, together. 

“You got everything, Mickey?” Ian asked. It was a hot day in June, just two weeks after Ian’s graduation and the men were putting the last of their luggage in their shared car. They would be heading back to Chicago for a week to spend time with their families and say their goodbyes before making the drive to Dallas. They’d be staying in a hotel until they found a place to live. Henry had set them up with a real estate agent that would help them find a place to lease for the first year. They were not in a position to buy a house yet, though Ian would be making big money soon, so the men had agreed to not make any big purchases the first few years. Growing up poor had made them want to be smart with money. 

There was no doubt that they would be together long term, so Ian considered all money, “their” money. Mickey sometimes objected, but he knew how much it meant to Ian to go along with it. Mickey would have no trouble finding a job. He’d taken classes over the years and had become a master mechanic specializing in rebuilding classic cars.

“Yeah, man. Can’t believe we are saying goodbye to our place,” Mickey replied. He picked up his backpack from the floor and pulled the door closed behind him, locked it and then got in the car to drop the key at the leasing office.

Ian reached for Mickey’s hand after he climbed back into the car. “Goodbye, Notre Dame, thank you for the memories.”

“Some damn good ones, Firecrotch,” Mickey replied.

“You can say that again,” Ian said with a smile. “I’m gonna miss this place, it’s hard to believe that my time here is over.”

“Hey, man, we can always come back for games and stuff,” Mickey offered.

“Maybe one day, but I think I’m gonna be busy during football season for awhile,” Ian said.

Mickey laughed at that as he steered the car onto the freeway, “Yeah, yeah.”

Their time in Chicago was full of family and friends and parties. The couple spent their last night in Illinois at The Alibi with goth the Gallaghers and Milkoviches. The drinks were flowing, as well as all the stories about each boy from their youth. Laugh after laugh and even a few tears, finally it was time for them to say goodnight as they were getting on the road early the following morning. They promised to call and text along the drive to check in.

 

Once the pair arrived in Dallas, it was full steam ahead. They settled on a three bedroom condo in North Dallas that was close enough to Frisco where the team practiced, AT&T Stadium where games were played, and the new shop where Mickey worked. The team was welcoming and the wives were eager to befriend the couple, showing them around the city, taking them out to eat, and showing them the gayborhood, although Mickey assured them they would rarely hit that part of town, preferring just regular dive bars to play pool and drink beer.

Mickey attended every game and cheered on his boyfriend with proud enthusiasm. Mandy came down one weekend and so did the Gallaghers. Mickey was able to travel to several games with some of the other wives and significant others, it was nice to not have to be away from Ian as much as he was when they lived in South Bend. Still, there were times they weren't together, and it was hard on both of them since they were so dependent on the other in the new city. But they managed and always had the best sex after a few nights away from each other. It wasn’t always easy, but their love and friendship guided them and they always made sure to fulfill the needs of each other.

Before they knew it, they’d been in Dallas for a few years. The Cowboys were having a great season, leading the NFC in wins as the playoffs grew close. It was Sunday night and Ian had just walked in from riding the bus back from the stadium, Mickey had already been home for almost an hour. Knowing that Ian would be tired, Mickey had a bath drawn for his boyfriend, complete with epsom salts and a little lavender to relax him.

“Mick, this is perfect, thank you,” Ian said. He was submerged almost entirely under the water as Mickey washed Ian’s hair as he sat on the side of the tub.

“You’re welcome, I know you’re beat.”

Mickey finished up with his hair and got up to brush his teeth and get changed for bed. Ian stayed in the tub until his fingers were nice and pruned. He wrapped himself in his white, fluffy robe and made his way into their bedroom where he found Mickey on his knee by their bed with a box in his hands.

“Mickey, what are you doing?” Ian asked. His heart was beating rapidly as he processed the situation.

“Ian, I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you walk into my house all those years ago. When our fingers first touched and we felt that chemistry, our electricity, I knew I had to have you. I know I was scared at first and fucked up a bit, but here we are. You make me happy every single day and I want to spend the rest of my life making you feel the same way I do when I am with you. Will you marry me?” 

Mickey opened the box to show a beautiful ring.

Ian was frozen. Mickey just spoke the most beautiful words, words he had dreamed of hearing. He finally snapped out of his proposal haze and said, “Wait! Wait?”

“What the fuck, Gallagher?!” Mickey yelled as Ian ran back into their bathroom.

“Hang on, Mickey….just hang on…” Ian said with a voice muffled from the distance.

Ian returned just a moment later with a box of his own in his hand.

“Looks like we have both’ve had the same idea on our minds,” Ian said as he kneeled in front of Mickey.

“Mickey, I first fell for you when I saw you in the halls at school. You had no clue who I was and I’ve never told you this, but I kind of became friends with Mandy because she was your sister.”

Mickey looked at Ian with a smile as his cheeks flushed red.

“The night I met you at the party just solidified the big crush I had on you, but the moment we made physical contact, I was done. Head over heels. I have wanted you every day since and plan to love you every day from now until eternity. I can’t exist without you, Mickey, you are my other half. Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will! What about you, huh? You still haven’t answered me!” Mickey replied.

“How could you even doubt it, Mick?” Ian asked.

“You still gotta say ‘yes’, Ian,” Mickey responded.

“Yes, yes, fuck yes!”

They each put their rings on each others fingers. Mickey had bought Ian a thin rounded platinum band, and Ian bought a hammered platinum band for Mickey. They embraced tightly whispering “I love you’s” into each others ears.

 

With their new rings and promises of love for all the days of their lives, Mickey and Ian knew that their bond, commitment, and most of all their electricity, would always guide them and keep them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed my little story. What started as 3 small scenes turned into a 20,000 word fic. Wow! Much love to you all and thank you for reading!
> 
> Feedback is always welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback encouraged!


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